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SHS Tubamaster wrote:With the number of posts mentioning bass doublers recently, I thought I might ask around and see who on the board doubles on bass. If so, are you any good? Do you hold a gig? Do you have any interesting stories?

SHS"recent starter on bass"Tubamaster

I own a bass. The answer to all the other questions is no.

Rick "who has progressed only far enough to determine that flat-wound strings don't hurt as much" Denney

I play electric bass as well as tuba, and I'm darn good, if I may toot my own horn (or bass...) a little. A couple years ago, I came in 3rd on tuba and 1st on jazz bass for the Connecticut All-State competition. I don't really consider it "doubling" so much as I play both, although being at college really cut down on my bass playing, because I'm a tuba performance major, and time for bass is sparse.

I pluck around on an upright bass. I have a strong dislike for guitars so I will probably never own a Fender, etc.. It seems to me there are waaaayyy too many guitars around! I guess it's the convenience that makes them attractive but I really prefer the class of an upright.

ALL BASS, ALL THE TIME !!!!!!!!

I have an William Lewis upright with a C extension, and a Brice 6 string fretless electric.

I play about 25 to 30 times a year professionally, including pick-up gigs for people travelling through my area.

I have had the pleasure of backing up names such as Chris Vadala, Bobby Shew, Lew Marini, and Wycliffe Gordan (others, but too early in the morning to remember them all). Have also played for Al Pierson and Guy Lombardo's Royal Canadians on tuba and string bass.

I will post again later with some stories.

I play a vintage '61 small-mouthed bass.

Just back from hearing Edgar Meyer do his thing. "Wow" seems to be the appropriate term to describe his playing.

Funny thing was that I didn't see another low brass player in the audience (this town is small enough). I guess that they figured that there was nothing to be learned from Mr. Meyer.

Pity.

Chuck(G) wrote:Just back from hearing Edgar Meyer do his thing. "Wow" seems to be the appropriate term to describe his playing.

Funny thing was that I didn't see another low brass player in the audience (this town is small enough). I guess that they figured that there was nothing to be learned from Mr. Meyer.

Pity.

Wish I was close enough to have caught the show -- I'm a fan. (At least there would have been another low brass player in the audience.) Lots to be learned from him -- master musician who happens to be a master of his instrument at a level beyond the majority of other players.

Now, to keep this a "legit" post to this thread -- my only remaining bass is what started out as a mid-70s Fender Precision, but now has a Modulus Graphite neck and the original pickups replaced with EMGs and an EMG Jazz pickup added closer to the brigde. The result of some "tinkering" I did in the 1980s. (So essentially the only original parts are the body and the bridge.) Standardly use D'Addario nickel round wounds on it. These days I feel that I'm the only one around playing seriously on a four-string setup rather than five or six. Manage to make it work, though.

***

man I'd love to get my hands on Joe's bass!

as for me, I have a modest electric bass collection-

1996 Fender P-bass with a rosewood jazz neck and P/J pickups.

1980s Washburn B-15 with a rosewood neck that I defretted myself.

a BEAUTIFUL new Dean Rhapsody hollowbodied fretless with an ebinol fingerboard(soon to be replaced by a warmoth neck, wood type not yet decided)

and my newest, a Brice Douglas 5 string '75(style) Jazz Bass with a solid ash body. This one is HEAVY. I'm probably going to sell it in favour of the 4 string model... LOVE the bass, don't like the 5 strings.

On all of my basses I like Rotosound Swingbass 66 strings, except for the Washburn. The rotosounds are GREAT.. I think of them as the bass equivalent to the "German" tuba sound we talk about.. dark, lush, full. They're hard on the fingers and fretboards, though.. stiff as piano wire and coarse like sandpaper. but I can handle it

If I put those on the washburn though I'd be refinishing the fretboard everymonth, so I haven't really settled on a set of strings for her.. right now it's a set of GHS silencers which are a bit bright for my liking.. I'm not a fan of flatwounds in most instances, so I think I'll probably settle for some D'Addario roundwounds for the Washburn... won't be as easy on the fretboard, but won't be as harsh as the rotosounds.

no upright bass right now as for playing, I just do a tiny bit of session work(for a local R&B record label), and am working on 2 jazz/funk/blues projects that have yet to go "public".

..oh, and I have a few amplifiers

Yes I own two basses.

A cheapie Fender Squire (Chinese) with the standard passive pickup and some Ernie Ball Flatwounds. To me, it sounds pretty darn good. But it sits in the case.

The other bass I own is a Carvin LB75P. Its a five string with 18v active/passive system strung with flatwounds. I love it. It sounds great and looks pretty in purple with the quilted maple top and headstock. The mother of pearl block inlays look nice too.

Too bad I really stink at it.

For a while I was praticing a good bit and could read fairly well. With being in school, I am barely able to keep up my tuba chops, so it sits around also.

I was part of a Memphis area big band that was playing a wedding reception at a local country club that at one time hosted the St. Jude's classic. We all get there early, set up, and wait for the appropriate time to play.

Ther was not a cloud in the sky at the time we arrived.

Lo, and behold a squall line moves in, downtown floods, and lightning blows out every line to the neighborhood. The pianist, drummer and I are the only three who can carry the 3 hour gig. It was one of the hardest working jobs I have played, while all of the horn players who could not see the music and exercised a lack of knowledge of the standards just sat around.

It was the easiest $1K I've earned. The leader sent everyone else home, and paid them for the 30 minutes they were there. Those of us who knew the music made tons of money.



Tom Mason

betch wrote: String Bass, 1950's Kay M1
String Bass, 1940's Kay S1 Blonde

Know where I can find some accurate info on the Kay's?

I've got a guitar made by them, but haven't been able to date it. Not really much info about them at all. I haven't really looked in a few years, but none of guitar shops I've asked have know anything. A search yeilded lot's of varying "facts".

-Thomas

Here ya go:

http://www.kaybass.com/

the elephant wrote:I am looking at a nice New Standard Cleveland to replace my Kay. It is a beautiful instrument. If I do this I will have to sell my 1966 Kay. Any interest? It needs some work but plays pretty well.

That depends on how much you're asking.

I bought a Schechter Stilletto studio 5 stringer a couple years ago off eBay and haven't really looked back. Schechter's more of a heavy rock company so the bass is insanely heavy in the mid-lo range. Fortunately I don't care alot about tone tweaking so it serves me well. It plays with alot of thump on GHS Boomers though the middle of the neck is a little muddy for my taste. The low B string is flippin awesome though. It's not loose and there's a very clean clear tone to the notes.

I bought an SX fretless a while ago and I'm still learning my way around it. The flatwounds give a great sound to contrast to the Schechter, but I'm still trying to coax the 'fretless' sound out of the strings.

On the amp side, I've recently purchased a Markbass LMII head (Flavor of the month at GC, but it sounded really good on the showroom floor) coupled with an old Avatar 210 and ev 115. Amazing to say the least, but I've only played it for a while. More months of screwing around with it to determine whether it was a good investment or not.

Not much of a double bass doubler, but I borrowed a double bass from school and hopefully I'll get lessons and maybe even be decent to call myself a double bass player.

To answer the OP's question, Yes, I like to think that I'm good enough. I hold a steady gig with a church that provides me with some supplemental income and no my stories aren't that interesting. unless you count that one time we hooked up the lead singer's mic to an effects box and messed with the delay feature.

Read my signature. It is based on a Fender P-bass, however. Before my left hand screwed up, my main bass for years was/is when it's a short set, Rickenbacker 4002. Yes, 4002, not 4001 and not 4003 and not 4005.

Kubicki X-Factor
Oh yeah, it's my baby!

Also,
'74 P-Bass w/Jazz neck and Bartolini pu's
Steinberger
Hamer 8-String
Yamaha Fretless
Kramer Duke (strung tenor A-D-G-C)
Ibanez Musician
Peavey MidiBass synth controller and bass(for sale - $500 - PM me...you know you want to. Sound just like Yanni! )

I have also recently been borrowing a Kay upright...just might have to get my own!

I bought a Fender Squier Bass with a Crate 15w practice amp on E-bay.It sounds good through at least one Eon but better through all six of them.
I need to play a few certain songs on bass guitar to relieve my tired old tuba face. Walking bass lines on shuffle tempo stuff will be easier on the Fender.
John Reno told me he needs tuba but the occasional bass guitar song may have me available to sing back-up.
The tuba in our trop-rock band seems to be a real hook. we're getting lots of positive feedback on the tuba from fans and press. Tuba can do more to help a small ensemble but repeticious material can be done on bass guitar while I rest the face. I gotta speed up on bass guitar a bit but I am determined to use it as needed.

Dennis Gray http://cdbaby.com/cd/johnrenohfc

Doc wrote:Hey, Dennis...

Any idiot can play bass, but someone with your talent should have NO trouble being a great bassman quickly.

[quote/]

Thank you, Bill. what a nice thing to write. I can't believe you go 'round telling people that you're an a## h@#*.

Doc wrote:
BTW,
Any other recordings out yet? I think my fave, as well as my kids, is "Labrador Logic". "You Can't Stay Here" is another fave.

Doc

So glad you asked, sir.
Our new c.d., "Magic Chair" is finished and up on: http://cdbaby.com/cd/johnrenohfc
You can hear 80% of all ten tracks on this website.
I'd love some feedback from you guys.
I even got to sing with John on a song that is my fave, "I Lobster But Never Flounder" on track ten, a song I stole from Richard Bowden and Sandy Pinkard.
Cut one, "Heartaches and Hangovers", is a song John Reno co-wrote with Kenny Stabler-former quarterback at Alabama and the Oakland Raiders, over a cold beer on a "Legends Cruise" in the Carribean.

Doc wrote:Any idiot can play bass...

Hmmm...I'm just learning & teaching myself. I guess I'd better practice real hard so I won't be so "challenged"....